Mike Kyle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mike Kyle
Mike Kyle in 2009, at the weigh-in before the Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg event
Born	Michael Andrew Kyle (1980-03-31) March 31, 1980 (age 45) Boise, Idaho, United States
Other names	MAK
Residence	San Jose, California, United States
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight	220 lb (100 kg; 15 st 10 lb)
Division	Super Heavyweight Heavyweight Light Heavyweight
Reach	77 in (196 cm)
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	San Jose, California, United States
Team	American Kickboxing Academy
Years active	2001–present
Professional boxing record
Total	5
Wins	1
By knockout	1
Losses	3
Draws	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	45
Wins	23
By knockout	17
By submission	2
By decision	4
Losses	19
By knockout	8
By submission	6
By decision	4
By disqualification	1
Draws	1
No contests	2

Michael Andrew Kyle (born March 31, 1980) is an American professional mixed martial artist and boxer. He has competed in the Heavyweight division.

Kyle has fought in many major organizations. These include the UFC and Strikeforce. He also competed in the WEC and King of the Cage. He was once the WEC Heavyweight Champion. He also held the King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Championship.

Early Life and Sports

Mike Kyle grew up in Boise, Idaho. He went to Nampa High School. There, he became friends with Justin Eilers, who was also a fighter. Justin and another friend taught Mike some Brazilian jiu-jitsu moves. This was when Mike was still in high school.

Mike was also a very good football player. He played fullback for Butte College and Eastern Oregon University. For a while, he balanced playing football with his early fighting career. He even got an invitation to train with the San Francisco 49ers. But in the end, he chose to focus completely on mixed martial arts.

Mixed Martial Arts Journey

Starting His Career

Mike Kyle had a perfect record as an amateur fighter, winning all three of his fights. He became a professional fighter on March 10, 2001. He was 18 years old at the time. His first professional fight ended quickly with a TKO win in just 90 seconds. He won his next two fights in a similar way.

He then joined the King of the Cage promotion. His first fight there was for the Super Heavyweight Championship. He faced Dan Bobish, who was much heavier than him. Mike almost won, but he lost the fight. In his next King of the Cage fight, he moved to the Heavyweight division. He lost this fight to Paul Buentello. After these losses, Mike was invited to train at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose. He has trained there ever since.

Mike then fought in the WEC. He won his debut fight there by knockout, ending his losing streak. He continued to win his next few fights, including another one in the WEC.

Fighting in the UFC

Mike Kyle made his UFC debut against Wes Sims. He won the fight by knockout in the first round. After the fight, Sims claimed that Kyle had bitten him. A bite mark was visible on Sims' chest. Mike Kyle has always said he did nothing wrong.

Next, Mike fought his friend, Justin Eilers. This was a special match because Eilers had first introduced Mike to mixed martial arts. Mike lost this fight by knockout in the first round.

He then fought James Irvin at UFC 51. Mike won this fight by knockout in the first round. Even with this big win, Mike asked to leave the UFC. He wanted to fight in Japan.

After the UFC and Strikeforce Fights

After leaving the UFC, Mike planned to fight in Japan's PRIDE Fighting Championships. This plan did not work out. Instead, he fought in Japan's Pancrase promotion. He defeated Japanese legend Tsuyoshi Kohsaka by technical decision.

Mike then signed with Strikeforce. His first fight there was against Krzysztof Soszynski. The fight ended in a technical draw because Soszynski was accidentally poked in the eye. Mike then fought Brian Olsen for the WEC Heavyweight Championship. He was disqualified for hitting Olsen with illegal strikes. This led to an 18-month ban from fighting.

After his ban, Mike returned to Strikeforce. He fought Rafael Cavalcante in a Light Heavyweight bout. Mike won by knockout, which was one of his biggest career wins. This was also Cavalcante's first clear loss.

Mike then fought Fabrício Werdum in a Heavyweight fight at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg. He lost this fight by submission.

King of the Cage Champion

Mike Kyle later joined King of the Cage. He fought Travis Wiuff and initially won by TKO. However, the result was changed to a "no contest." This was because Mike hit Wiuff after the bell.

In his next King of the Cage fight, Mike defeated Jon Murphy by TKO. He then fought Tony Lopez for the King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Championship. Mike won by split decision after a five-round fight. This made him the King of the Cage Light Heavyweight Champion.

Return to Strikeforce and Other Fights

Mike returned to Strikeforce and won against Abongo Humphrey by submission. He also won the XMMA Light Heavyweight Championship by TKO against Steve Oliver.

He then stepped in to fight Antônio "Bigfoot" Silva on short notice. Mike knocked Silva down but could not finish the fight. Silva won by TKO in the second round. Mike later said he broke his hand during this fight.

Mike was scheduled to fight Gegard Mousasi several times. Injuries caused him to withdraw from some of these fights. He eventually faced Mousasi at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine in 2013. He lost this fight by submission. After this loss, Mike said he would retire, but he later decided not to.

He had a rematch with Travis Wiuff and won by knockout in just 21 seconds. Mike continued to fight in various promotions. He faced Anthony Johnson at WSOF 8 and lost by knockout. He also fought Andrei Arlovski at WSOF 5, losing by decision.

More recently, Mike fought in Absolute Championship Berkut. He lost to Denis Goltsov by submission. But he won his next fight against Dan Charles by TKO.

Boxing Career

Mike Kyle also has a professional boxing career. He made his boxing debut in 2003 as a heavyweight. He lost that fight by decision.

He returned to boxing in 2016 and earned his first professional win by knockout. He continued to box, with a record of 1 win, 3 losses, and 1 draw.

Personal Life

Mike Kyle is married and has one daughter with his wife. He also has two sons from a previous marriage. He has some Irish family background.

Achievements and Awards

• King of the Cage
  • KOTC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time; former)
• Xtreme MMA Australia
  • XMMA Light Heavyweight Championship (One time; former)
• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2005: Ranked #8 Knockout of the Year vs. James Irvin

Mixed Martial Arts Record Summary

Professional Boxing Record Summary

No.	Result	Record	Opponent	Type	Round, time	Date	Location	Notes
5	Loss	1–3–1	Darmani Rock	UD	4	6 Aug 2016	Oracle Arena, Oakland, California, US
4	Draw	1–2–1	Trent Rawlins	UD	4	9 Jun 2016	The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, US
3	Loss	1–2	Jonathan Rice	UD	4	5 May 2016	Irvine, California, US
2	Win	1–1	James Kirby	KO	1 (4), 1:15	23 Jan 2016	Marriott on Broadway, Oakland, California, US
1	Loss	0–1	Brian Torzenski	UD	4	17 Jan 2003	Bank of America Center, Boise, Idaho, US

Bare Knuckle Record Summary

See also

• List of male mixed martial artists